I'm going to a wedding this weekend, the wedding of my 'other daughter.' She's not my flesh and blood, she's not an adopted daughter; she's a daughter of my heart, my other daughter.
I first met this other daughter of mine when she was a little pixie of 8 years old. My husband took the church here in our little town, and her family faithfully came every Sunday. She wound herself around my heart, a little more with each passing year. I watched her grow into a teenager and watched her go through things that would be hard on anyone, much less a teen: her parents divorced, her sister and nephew were in a terrible accident that left her sister with a brain injury and her beloved nephew just a sweet memory that we still shed tears over. Many teens would have rebelled against God and their parents, but not my other daughter. She moved away with her mom for a short time, then came back to live with her dad, taught Sunday school for us, remained faithful to God. She spent many days at our house, and that was just fine with me. I watched her grow into an older teenager, watched her graduate from high school with honors. I mourned when she left for college, loved it when she came home for holidays. During the summer she was at our table for many meals because her dad is a farmer who works long hours and her step-mom is our town doctor who also works long hours. That was fine with me. It was always a joy to set another place, to be able to spend a little more time with her. The first summer she didn't come home, except for a short visit, was hard. I missed her at our table. But she was growing up, spreading her wings, which is as it should be.
And now, my other daughter is all grown up. We watched her walk down the aisle to graduate from college this spring, again with honors. We were incredibly proud. And we will be incredibly proud this weekend when we watch her walk down the aisle to marry a fine Christian man. My husband will marry them, one son will play the piano for them, one daughter will be a candle lighter...I will be the 'other mom,' proud as can be of this 'other daughter' that holds such a special place in my heart.
I love you, my other daugher...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
My garden
one of my little pondsIt was incredibly muggy here in the middle of nowhere Kansas, but it was beautiful in my garden! The butterflies just keep multiplying...unfortunately so do the Japanese beetles. I picked tomatoes and cucumbers, but later had fewer than I remembered picking. Turns out I had taken two bags out, put them in two bags, then left one sitting out in the garden. Glad I found them before the bugs did! My family thinks it strange that I love my garden so much. Is it strange that I'd rather get a truckload of manure or grass clippings than a vase of flowers? I'm going to try and post some more garden pictures on here. Once I figure out how to do it... The first one was a fluke or something!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Beauty of a Newborn
I love babies. When you hold one, all becomes right in the world. Stress...what is that? Breathe in that baby smell (ok, one with a clean diaper, otherwise that totally changes things!), and you become almost intoxicated with joy. Today I got to hold a newborn. She is beautiful with a headful of black hair. She's not mine, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying her. Listening to her little squeaks, watching her stretch, seeing those little tiny wondering eyes...it just doesn't get better than that! Her whole future lies before her...and she doesn't even know it, doesn't even care. Such innocence.
Ok, apparently holding a newborn brings out the really bad poet in me! I looked at this wee one and thought about my oldest baby. She is getting ready to head off for college, her whole future lies before her, she will also be stretching and wondering...and wandering. The years have flown by!
So, where am I going with this? I really have no idea! Just musing I suppose, haha! I know, you thought I was going to be wise and eloquent. Sorry to disappoint you, it's too late at night!
It's been a very busy week, not stressful, just very busy. The garden is still producing, so that makes me happy. Lots of tomatoes, a few cucumbers, broccoli. The Japanese Beetles are driving me crazy, they like to buzz all around my head when I'm outside! I hate those things! Nasty nasty!
Ok, enough rambling for one night! I'm still trying to decide what direction this blog will take, so be patient with me. Good night!!
Ok, apparently holding a newborn brings out the really bad poet in me! I looked at this wee one and thought about my oldest baby. She is getting ready to head off for college, her whole future lies before her, she will also be stretching and wondering...and wandering. The years have flown by!
So, where am I going with this? I really have no idea! Just musing I suppose, haha! I know, you thought I was going to be wise and eloquent. Sorry to disappoint you, it's too late at night!
It's been a very busy week, not stressful, just very busy. The garden is still producing, so that makes me happy. Lots of tomatoes, a few cucumbers, broccoli. The Japanese Beetles are driving me crazy, they like to buzz all around my head when I'm outside! I hate those things! Nasty nasty!
Ok, enough rambling for one night! I'm still trying to decide what direction this blog will take, so be patient with me. Good night!!
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Decomposing Mr. Dinsmore
So I thought I'd tell you about some places we went last week. Being a homeschool mom, I'm always on the lookout for a field trip, so when two of my kids needed to go to Phillipsburg (Kansas of course) to the DMV there (we don't have one in our town so we have to travel an hour), I got out my handy-dandy Kansas tourism guide to see what was in the area. After all, I've only lived here in this town for 15 years so I cannot possibly be expected to know what all there is... I should mention that I LOVE tourism guides! Everywhere I go I pick up guides, pamphlets, you name it! You just never know when you are going to find something totally cool to see. Or just plain strange.
Anyway, did you know that Phillipsburg has a museum called Fort Bissell? I've been to this town many times, but apparently have never made it to the west side or I would have seen this museum. It's a stockade with several buildings in it (they have been moved from other places) like 2 log cabins, an old schoolhouse, a train depot and...I don't remember what else. It was probably a very interesting place, but it was 102 degrees that day and the buildings are NOT air conditioned. So we will have to go back sometime when we won't melt looking at the displays.
After leaving Phillipsburgs we headed toward Smith Center because 9 miles from there is...are you ready?...the ACTUAL cabin where Home, Home on the Range was written. Still in its original location on the banks of Beaver Creek. Of course its original location is now someone's backyard, but they've done a good job of preserving it. One of the things inside the cabin is a chair with a sign that reads 'Oldest Chair in Kansas'. I'm not sure if that can be proved or not, so I'll just trust them on that one. I was trying to get my kids to use their imagination and picture Dr. Brewster Higley sitting on his porch looking out at the deer and the antelope playing, but they are boring teenagers who have lost their imaginations and just had to point out to me that there is no porch. Sigh. We weren't there very long.
Then later in the week we had a missionary family come for the weekend. Did I mention my husband is a pastor in a small town? Thus the missionary family. Anyway, Missionary Wife also loves quirky places so of course we had to take them to see THE Big Ball of Twine in Cawker City. Now, in case you are wondering why that is exciting...it is REALLY big. Not just big but BIG! Plus the town's people have made replicas of famous paintings (not all that good but that's beside the point) and put balls of twine in every single one. You've never seen the Mona Lisa portrayed this way before. Or the Statue of Liberty holding a ball of twine instead of a torch. Or... So you follow a ball of twine (it's painted on the sidewalk) up and down Main Street and look at all the pictures. You can even buy Ball of Twine salt and pepper shakers at the little Ball of Twine Souvenir Shop. Be sure and stay at the Ball of Twine Inn. There is no Ball of Twine Restaurant though, so bring a sandwich or something. Did I mention the Twine-a-thon in August? Quirkiness rating = pretty high
Then it was on to The Garden of Eden in Lucas. If you've never visited this place, words cannot even begin to describe it. Well, maybe several words. Old man with a strange passion for making bizarre statues out of cement, starting, of course, with Adam and Eve. Thus the name. Not only do you get to tour Mr. Dinsmore's house and garden (the statues are all outside), but you get to see his decomposing body in a mausoleum he built for himself. Last time we were there, they told us the air-tight box had sprung a leak which was why he was decomposing...and apparently once it started it really happened quickly! Definitely high on the list of Strange Things to See in Kansas! I'm sure our company never thought Kansas would be this exciting!
Anyway, did you know that Phillipsburg has a museum called Fort Bissell? I've been to this town many times, but apparently have never made it to the west side or I would have seen this museum. It's a stockade with several buildings in it (they have been moved from other places) like 2 log cabins, an old schoolhouse, a train depot and...I don't remember what else. It was probably a very interesting place, but it was 102 degrees that day and the buildings are NOT air conditioned. So we will have to go back sometime when we won't melt looking at the displays.
After leaving Phillipsburgs we headed toward Smith Center because 9 miles from there is...are you ready?...the ACTUAL cabin where Home, Home on the Range was written. Still in its original location on the banks of Beaver Creek. Of course its original location is now someone's backyard, but they've done a good job of preserving it. One of the things inside the cabin is a chair with a sign that reads 'Oldest Chair in Kansas'. I'm not sure if that can be proved or not, so I'll just trust them on that one. I was trying to get my kids to use their imagination and picture Dr. Brewster Higley sitting on his porch looking out at the deer and the antelope playing, but they are boring teenagers who have lost their imaginations and just had to point out to me that there is no porch. Sigh. We weren't there very long.
Then later in the week we had a missionary family come for the weekend. Did I mention my husband is a pastor in a small town? Thus the missionary family. Anyway, Missionary Wife also loves quirky places so of course we had to take them to see THE Big Ball of Twine in Cawker City. Now, in case you are wondering why that is exciting...it is REALLY big. Not just big but BIG! Plus the town's people have made replicas of famous paintings (not all that good but that's beside the point) and put balls of twine in every single one. You've never seen the Mona Lisa portrayed this way before. Or the Statue of Liberty holding a ball of twine instead of a torch. Or... So you follow a ball of twine (it's painted on the sidewalk) up and down Main Street and look at all the pictures. You can even buy Ball of Twine salt and pepper shakers at the little Ball of Twine Souvenir Shop. Be sure and stay at the Ball of Twine Inn. There is no Ball of Twine Restaurant though, so bring a sandwich or something. Did I mention the Twine-a-thon in August? Quirkiness rating = pretty high
Then it was on to The Garden of Eden in Lucas. If you've never visited this place, words cannot even begin to describe it. Well, maybe several words. Old man with a strange passion for making bizarre statues out of cement, starting, of course, with Adam and Eve. Thus the name. Not only do you get to tour Mr. Dinsmore's house and garden (the statues are all outside), but you get to see his decomposing body in a mausoleum he built for himself. Last time we were there, they told us the air-tight box had sprung a leak which was why he was decomposing...and apparently once it started it really happened quickly! Definitely high on the list of Strange Things to See in Kansas! I'm sure our company never thought Kansas would be this exciting!
Confessions of a new blogger
Ok, here goes - my very first blog. I feel so modern! And scared. What if no one reads my blog? what if someone does?? I've been known to act like an idiot in public, but this is WAY public... Hm, maybe I should have called this 'The Neurotic Kansan'...
Oh yes, my confessions...
Confession #1 I'm not a native Kansan. BUT in my defense, I have lived in this state over half my life, and since before that I was a missionary kid without a real home, I will claim Kansas and be proud of it.
Confession #2 Sometimes my family thinks I'm a wee bit insane. Like last year when a garden spider came to live in my garden (good place for a garden spider) and I spent the summer taking pictures of her life cycle. She made two gigantic egg sacs and I kept them in a jar to see if they would hatch--NO, not inside like my husband assumed when I told him this spring that hundreds of babies had hatched. Did I mention the spider's name? Webster. What a great name. I'd like to take credit for it, but that actually goes to my daughter Sarah. She's much more creative at names than I am. For example, she has a fat stuffed frog and a skinny stuffed frog and she named them Fattio and Skinnyet. Hm, maybe I'm not the insane one here...If I ever figure out how to post pictures, I'll put some of Webster on here. I know, you'll be sure to look for them.
Confession #3 I have a wild imagination. And a slight tendency to exaggerate. With my wild imagination I should be creative, but there seems to be a short circuit between my brain and my hands, so things get lost along the way. That's why my scrapbooking looks like something a two year old might do.
Confession #4 I love quirky things, in fact, the quirkier the better. Fortunately, Kansas is full of quirkiness. Unfortunately, my family doesn't share this love of mine. They prefer to drive past signs that tell you some famous person once broke a nail at this spot. Where's the fun in that?
Confession #5 I think I've run out of confessions...at least for today.
Oh yes, my confessions...
Confession #1 I'm not a native Kansan. BUT in my defense, I have lived in this state over half my life, and since before that I was a missionary kid without a real home, I will claim Kansas and be proud of it.
Confession #2 Sometimes my family thinks I'm a wee bit insane. Like last year when a garden spider came to live in my garden (good place for a garden spider) and I spent the summer taking pictures of her life cycle. She made two gigantic egg sacs and I kept them in a jar to see if they would hatch--NO, not inside like my husband assumed when I told him this spring that hundreds of babies had hatched. Did I mention the spider's name? Webster. What a great name. I'd like to take credit for it, but that actually goes to my daughter Sarah. She's much more creative at names than I am. For example, she has a fat stuffed frog and a skinny stuffed frog and she named them Fattio and Skinnyet. Hm, maybe I'm not the insane one here...If I ever figure out how to post pictures, I'll put some of Webster on here. I know, you'll be sure to look for them.
Confession #3 I have a wild imagination. And a slight tendency to exaggerate. With my wild imagination I should be creative, but there seems to be a short circuit between my brain and my hands, so things get lost along the way. That's why my scrapbooking looks like something a two year old might do.
Confession #4 I love quirky things, in fact, the quirkier the better. Fortunately, Kansas is full of quirkiness. Unfortunately, my family doesn't share this love of mine. They prefer to drive past signs that tell you some famous person once broke a nail at this spot. Where's the fun in that?
Confession #5 I think I've run out of confessions...at least for today.
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